Who we are
Verity Training & Consultancy Services (VTCS) operates this website at https://vtcs.org.uk.
VTCS provides training, consultancy and technology-related services, including support in digital skills, accessibility and broadcasting.
For questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle personal information, please contact us:
Email: info@vtcs.org.uk
Comments
VTCS does not currently allow visitors to submit comments on blog posts. Comment forms are disabled, and visitors cannot use the comments facility to contact VTCS.
For questions, feedback or enquiries, please use the contact details provided on our Contact page.
Media
VTCS may publish photographs, graphics and other media on this website to provide information about its services, activities and resources. Media published on the website may be viewed and downloaded by visitors. However, downloading or accessing media does not automatically grant permission to reproduce, distribute or otherwise reuse it without appropriate authorisation.
The website does not currently provide a general facility for visitors to upload media files. If you send VTCS photographs, documents or other files by email or through the contact form, we will use them for the purpose of responding to your enquiry or providing the requested service.
Please avoid including unnecessary personal information or location details in files you send to us.
Cookies
This website uses cookies to support the operation, security and administration of the WordPress website.
A temporary cookie may be used when someone visits the WordPress login page to check whether their browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal information and is removed when the browser is closed.
When an authorised VTCS user logs in, WordPress uses cookies to maintain the login session and remember administrative display preferences. Login cookies normally last for two days, or up to two weeks when the Remember Me option is selected. Display preference cookies may last for up to one year.
When an authorised user edits or publishes an article, WordPress may save a short-lived cookie containing the post ID. This expires after one day.
As comments are disabled on this website, cookies used to remember details entered into comment forms do not currently apply.
Cookies and similar technologies used by external services, embedded content or additional website features may differ. Any such services will be considered when reviewing this Privacy Policy.
Embedded content from other websites
Some pages on the VTCS website provide audio players that allow visitors to listen to radio stations featured through our Radio & Broadcasting services.
VTCS obtains its radio streaming services through Divine Streams, which acts as our streaming services reseller. The underlying streaming infrastructure and hosting services are provided by Streamerr.co.
When a visitor chooses to play an audio stream, their browser or device connects to the relevant streaming server operated through Streamerr.co to receive the audio.
In delivering the streaming service, Streamerr.co may process technical connection information, such as visitors’ IP addresses and browser or device details, to deliver audio, manage network traffic and maintain service security and performance.
For further information about how the underlying streaming provider handles personal information, visitors can consult the Streamerr privacy policy: https://streamerr.co/privacypolicy.
This website may also contain links to external websites and services, including fundraising platforms and other online resources. When visitors follow an external link, they leave the VTCS website and become subject to the privacy practices of the external website or service. VTCS does not control how those external providers collect or use personal information. We encourage visitors to read the relevant privacy notices before using those services.
Who we share your data with
VTCS may share personal information with trusted service providers where this is necessary to operate the website, deliver services, respond to enquiries or maintain website security.
Website hosting and technical infrastructure are provided through Streamerr.co, operated by Streamerr/Unmuted Limited. As our hosting provider, Streamerr may process technical information, including IP addresses, browser and device details, and server logs. Information submitted through the website may also be stored or transmitted using the infrastructure required to operate the site.
For radio streaming services, VTCS obtains its services through Divine Streams, which acts as our reseller. The underlying streaming infrastructure is provided by Streamerr/Unmuted Limited. Technical connection information may be processed by the streaming provider to deliver and maintain the audio service.
Information submitted through our Contact page or sent directly to info@vtcs.org.uk is used by VTCS to respond to enquiries and provide requested information or services. Relevant service providers may process that information where necessary to deliver website hosting, email or communication services.
VTCS may also disclose personal information where required by law, regulation or a lawful request from an appropriate authority.
VTCS does not make personal information publicly available except where information has been deliberately published, such as an article author’s name and biography.
How long we retain your data
VTCS retains personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected.
The retention period depends on the type of information and the reason it is held.
Enquiries received through the website or by email may be retained while they are being handled and for a reasonable period afterwards, where necessary to manage follow-up communications, maintain records of services provided or address any related issues.
Business and service records may be retained for the duration of a working relationship and afterwards where necessary to meet contractual, legal, tax, accounting or other legitimate record-keeping requirements.
WordPress user account information is retained while an account remains active and is required for website administration and security. Accounts that are no longer needed should be removed or disabled, subject to any necessary security or record-keeping requirements.
Published website content, including articles and author information, may remain available while it continues to serve a legitimate editorial or informational purpose.
Technical information and server logs collected by our website hosting and streaming providers are subject to their respective privacy policies and retention practices. VTCS does not determine the precise retention periods for information held independently by those providers.
VTCS reviews the personal information it holds and will securely delete or anonymise information when it is no longer required, unless there is a lawful reason to retain it for longer.
What rights you have over your data
Under applicable UK data protection law, individuals have rights concerning the personal information held about them. Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis on which their information is processed, these rights may include:
- Right of access: To request a copy of the personal information VTCS holds about you.
- Right to rectification: To request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
- Right to erasure: To request deletion of personal information in circumstances where the law provides this right.
- Right to restrict processing: To request that the use of personal information is restricted in certain circumstances.
- Right to object: To object to certain types of processing of personal information.
- Right to data portability: To request personal information in a commonly used, machine-readable format where this right applies.
- Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. This does not affect processing carried out lawfully before consent was withdrawn.
These rights are subject to applicable legal conditions and exemptions. They do not apply in every circumstance.
To exercise your rights or ask a question about how VTCS handles personal information, contact us at:
Email: info@vtcs.org.uk
We may need to verify your identity before responding to certain requests.
You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent data protection regulator.
ICO website: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
Where your data is sent
VTCS does not currently accept visitor comments on its blog posts. Consequently, information submitted through blog comment forms is not sent to an automated comment-spam detection service.
Information submitted through the VTCS contact form or sent directly to info@vtcs.org.uk is provided to VTCS so that enquiries can be received and answered.
The VTCS website is hosted through Streamerr.co, operated by Streamerr/Unmuted Limited. In providing website hosting, the provider may process technical information and information handled by the website as necessary to deliver, maintain and secure the hosting service.
Streamerr states that its web-hosting servers are located in data centres in the United Kingdom and European Union. The precise data-centre location used for the VTCS website has not yet been independently confirmed.
When visitors use the radio streaming players, their devices connect to the relevant streaming infrastructure provided by Streamerr. Technical connection information may be processed as described in the Embedded Content section of this policy.
When visitors follow links to external websites or services, their information may be processed by those providers in accordance with their own privacy policies.
How and why we use personal information
VTCS uses personal information for the following purposes:
Responding to enquiries
We use information provided through our Contact page, email and other communication channels to respond to questions, discuss service requirements and provide relevant information.
Where someone asks us to take specific steps before entering into a service agreement, such as preparing a quotation, we may rely on the lawful basis of taking steps at that person’s request before entering into a contract. For general enquiries, we may rely on our legitimate interests in communicating with people who contact us.
Providing training and consultancy services
Where an individual engages VTCS for training, consultancy or other services, we use the information necessary to arrange, deliver and administer those services.
The lawful basis for processing information necessary to provide an agreed service is contractual necessity.
Operating and protecting our website
We use relevant technical information to operate, maintain and protect the VTCS website, investigate technical problems, protect website accounts and help prevent unauthorised access or misuse.
Where appropriate, this processing is based on our legitimate interests in maintaining a secure, reliable and functioning website, provided those interests are not overridden by the rights and freedoms of the individuals concerned.
Managing business and legal records
We retain and process relevant business and service information to maintain appropriate records and meet applicable accounting, tax and other legal requirements.
Where processing is necessary to meet a specific legal requirement, the lawful basis is legal obligation. Other business administration may rely on legitimate interests where appropriate.
Publishing website content
We may publish articles, professional information and contributor biographies to provide information about VTCS and its work.
Where personal information is included in published material, we will ensure that there is an appropriate lawful basis for doing so and that contributors are informed about the intended publication.
The appropriate lawful basis depends on the purpose of the processing and the circumstances. VTCS does not rely on consent where another lawful basis is more appropriate.
Children’s privacy
The VTCS website is intended to provide information about our services, activities and resources to a general audience. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children through this website for purposes unrelated to providing appropriate services or responding to enquiries. Where personal information relating to a child is necessary for the provision of training or other services, VTCS will handle that information appropriately and in accordance with applicable data protection law.
Contact us about this Privacy Policy
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data protection rights, or have concerns about how VTCS handles your personal information, please contact us using the following details:
Verity Training & Consultancy Services (VTCS)
Email: info@vtcs.org.uk
Website: https://vtcs.org.uk/contact/